


Safe Haven

by LadyEkaterina



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Nightmares, No Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:35:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21901072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyEkaterina/pseuds/LadyEkaterina
Summary: Mickey finds a safe place to hide
Relationships: Ian Gallagher & Mickey Milkovich, Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich
Comments: 6
Kudos: 73





	1. Then

**Author's Note:**

> I needed a happy ending. This sort of follows/run parallel to The Holly &The Ivy.

There was the sound of a fist meeting a cheekbone.  
“I didn’t fuckin pay for your school supplies for you to just give ‘em away!”  
Another thump. Then the sound of running feet.  
“Come back you little fucker!”  
Mickey had no intention of going back. Not until his dad was gone or passed out. The 9 year old wore ripped hand-me-down jeans and a T-shirt full of holes. There were fresh cigarette burns on his arms and a bruise coming up on his face. He didn’t know why he had given the weird ass ginger kid with all the freckles one of his pencils. He should’ve known his dad would check, but there was something about the boy.....  
Mickey ran as fast as he could. He had to get to the end of the street before his dad closed the distance between them. He could still hear Terry shouting at him as he ran and turned the corner. He could see his destination now. The derelict house. He had found a way in and it was his secret hideout. He hadn’t even told his sister in case their father beat her and she told him. Also Mickey liked finally having something that was just his.  
Mickey hopped over the rotten fence and scooted round the side of the house, where the window was accessible. He clambered in and lay there breathing heavily for a few moments. He couldn’t hear his father now so hopefully the man had gone home or the Alibi. Mickey didn’t care as long as he wasn’t looking for Mickey.  
Mickey crawled into the main room and over to the wall. He’d brought some old couch cushions in and made himself a little cozy corner. Mickey sat back in the corner and breathed. As he sat there, his mind started to wander. Imagining the house if it was his. His safe haven.  
His eyes started to close. Mickey curled up on the cushions and fell asleep. Not for the last time, Mickey dreamed of a boy with red hair and too many freckles.


	2. Now

Mickey was running. He couldn’t quite work out why he was running. He just knew something was after him and he had to get to Ian. He ran until he saw it in the distance. His safe haven. He’d never been found there.

The door was open. That wasn’t right, it was always locked up tight. Mickey raced up the steps and entered the house, slamming the door behind him. He turned breathing heavily and then Ian was there. His Ian, there in his safe haven. Safe. Mickey started to breathe again. 

The scene changed.

Mickey was lying in the glow of a fire, his flame haired lover wrapped around him. Mickey brought Ian’s hand up to his lips and dropped a kiss on it.  
His eyes grew heavy and he fell asleep. 

Mickey woke up with a start. He was cold. And alone. He sat up smartly and looked around. The fire was out and looked to have been out for a while. The comforter had gone. He was lying on a grey scratchy blanket. He stood up, pulling up his jumpsuit and shouting  
“Ian! Where are you? Ian!” There was no reply. He walked into the kitchen. No cookies cooling on the side, the kitchen was empty, grease covering every surface. Grease and dust.  
Mickey was beginning to panic now. He ran up the stairs shouting for Ian. Nothing. Mickey came back down stairs and sat on the bunk bed that was where the couch had been. Alone. He felt the tears prick his eyes and rubbed at them with his palms.  
He started to hear voices.  
“He’s in here. He’s always fuckin’ here. Stupid faggot. Can’t fucking believe he’s my son.“  
Mickey felt his heart beat faster as he heard the voices get closer. It couldn’t be him. He’d never found this place. This was Mickey’s safe place.  
He could hear other voices now.  
“Terry, he’s heavy. We gotta bring him?”  
Terry’s tone was nasty  
“Oh yeah”  
“Come on lift with your legs,”  
“No fuckin son of mine is gonna take it up the ass. And he needs to know that!”  
The front door burst open and there was Terry. Terry smiled a horrible smile when he saw Mickey sitting on the bunk.  
“There he is.” He sneered. “The queer ass cock sucking waste of space”  
Mickey could smell the alcohol. And suddenly he was nine years old again and being punished for some minor infraction.  
“Came across your faggotty boyfriend outside.”  
Mickey looked up warily. “Ian’s my husband.” He said in a low voice. Trying to hide the fear he felt.  
“Is he? Don’t matter any more!” Terry mocked.  
The other two men entered the house, dragging a body. Mickey saw the red hair and jumped up to go to him.  
“Ian!” He shouted. Terry pushed him back  
“You’ll join him soon, faggot.”  
The two men let go off Ian and he slumped to the floor with a sickening thump. There was blood around his swollen face. Mickey wasn’t even sure he was alive. The red mist came down and he charged at Terry.  
Terry laughed and swatted him away before grabbing Mickey’s jumpsuit and pulling Mickey towards him.  
“I told you what would happen if you let that ginger faggot near you.” Terry snarled. He pushed Mickey’s face down to Ian’s body.  
“You did this. You’re to blame. And now you’re gonna get your punishment.”  
As Mickey tried to focus, he saw his dad was now wearing a CO uniform and held a baton which he used to beat Mickey mercilessly around the head. He kicked Mickey in the stomach and laughed as Mickey went down. Then Terry knelt beside him smacking his head into the ground.  
“I was gonna let you live with knowing you killed your faggotty boyfriend, but I can’t have you walking around being queer like that’s fuckin’ OK.”

The world was starting to go black around him.

“Mickey. Mick” A gentle voice in the darkness. Mickey looked around for it. Couldn’t see anything. A cool hand stroked his face. A voice he recognised calling him. But it couldn’t be, could it?  
“Ian?”  
“I’m here Mick. It was a nightmare. I’m here”  
Mickey sat up suddenly and flung his arms around his husband, burrowing his head into Ian’s chest. Ian stroked Mickey’s hair and just held him. To his shock, Mickey was crying. Great big shaking sobs. The nightmares were getting worse, Ian could see that. Every time they heard that Terry was out of prison, they’d start up again, and Mickey would wake up in a cold sweat calling Ian’s name.  
“I thought I’d lost you.” Mickey gulped. “Terry....”  
“You won’t lose me. I promise. You’re stuck with me”  
Mickey nodded, his body still trembling. Ian lay back in their bed and pulled Mickey to him, holding him tight.


	3. Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because I need a happy ending

Mickey was walking home from work. His boots crunched on the icy leaves. The dark sky was heavy with snow. He shivered, pulling his hat further down.  
Mickey stopped outside the small run down house. Thanks to a generous artist, they had managed to get together the deposit to put down on it. They’d only moved in three months ago and already they’d fixed the roof, cleaned out the chimney and installed the hot water cylinder. They had also replaced the broken windows. There was still a lot of work to do but the house was water tight and warm.  
Mickey opened the gate and noted that it needed oiling. He took his phone out and added “oil gate” to the ever increasing list. He climbed the steps to the porch and opened the front door. His front door. The door pushed against a large envelope with a handwritten address. Mickey looked at it and turned it over. He smiled at the return address and dropped his keys in the bowl on the small table. His husband had insisted on there being a special table and bowl just for their keys and well Mickey couldn’t say no to Ian. Mickey kicked the door shut as he ripped open the envelope. He took out the letter and a handful of photographs. Reading it twice to be sure, Mickey looked happily at the pictures. He grinned to himself. He put the lot on their small coffee table. He knew Ian would want to see them. Then he took off his coat, hat, scarf and boots and went to the grate. One thing his pyromaniac brother had taught him was how to set a fire. Mickey screwed up twizzles of newspaper and added some cheap wood off cuts they’d got from the hardware store. Then he lit the paper. Soon the wood had caught and he added some small logs. A few more minutes and he was putting a much larger log on the blaze, and the living room was starting to warm up.  
Mickey looked at the flames with satisfaction. Then he ran upstairs to take a quick shower.  
Washed clean and dressed in sweats and a hoodie, Mickey returned to the living room. There was an old couch from Goodwill in the middle of the room and a tv in the corner. It wasn’t huge but it wasn’t tiny either and it suited the two of them. He added another log to the fire and went into the kitchen.  
The kitchen needed replacing if he was honest but that would have to wait a while. It was spotlessly clean however. The pair had spent days scrubbing every inch. They’d even dragooned in Gallagher siblings to help. Mickey got the stuff together for burgers, potatoes and salad. He began to prepare dinner. He got a beer from the fridge and was happily immersed in domesticity when he heard the door close and Ian call his name.  
“In here!”  
Ian came through into the kitchen and just stopped in the doorway gazing at the scene,  
“What?” Said Mickey with exaggerated patience.  
“Just looking at my husband being all domestic” smirked Ian.  
Mickey gave him the finger, but he was laughing as he did it.  
“Yeah well dinner will be ready in 10 minutes so you might want to take that ginger ass of yours upstairs and shower.”  
Ian blew him a kiss.  
“And don’t think I’m coming up to blow you either”  
He heard Ian whinging all the way up the stairs..  
“Yeah!” He shouted. “That’s what you get!”  
Ian reappeared just as Mickey was plating up. The two sat on their couch and enjoyed their dinner.  
“Ohhhh that was good!” Said Ian putting his plate down.  
“Yeah.” Agreed Mickey. He picked up the plates and called over to Ian as he went into the kitchen  
“There’s something on the coffee table you should look at, Ian.”  
“Okay!”  
Mickey put the plates in the sink and was about to start washing up when he heard Ian’s “Oh. My. Fucking. God.” from the living room. They can wait he thought. I wanna see his face.  
He walked back to the living room just in time to see Ian wide eyed as he looked through the photos of Mickey’s son.  
“He’s gotten so big!” Said Ian, eyes glued to the pictures.  
“I know.” Smiled Mickey.  
“And the letter says .... it says.... Emotion stopped him finishing the sentence.  
“Svetlana says we can see him. Both of us. And if it goes well....”  
“He can visit?”  
“He can visit.”  
Mickey found his own happiness increased exponentially at seeing Ian’s face. Ian had got up and was walking over to Mickey.  
“I can’t believe it.”  
“Believe it, Ian”  
Mickey held Ian’s face, stroking his cheek with his thumb. He then pulled Ian down to kiss him, gently at first, but that never lasted long with these two. The kiss soon became passionate, hands roaming over their bodies.  
Ian pushed Mickey back on to the couch where they could make out more seriously. Hands were moving under the sweatshirts to stroke and grasp at warm flesh. A sharp knock at the door caused them both to raise their heads.  
“Who the fuck?”  
A second knock followed by “Guys, it’s Tony Markovich. I really need to speak to you.”  
“Oh fuck.” Said Ian. “What do you think Frank’s done now?”  
They got up readjusting their clothing to at least try and disguise their hard-ons and went to the door. Ian opened it with Mickey standing close behind.  
Tony was on the porch in uniform. He looked sombre.  
“Hi Tony” Ian was friendly. “You coming in?”  
“Thanks.” Tony stepped into the warmth.  
Mickey had his arms crossed across his chest. Ian was standing in front of him. Even now, Mickey wasn’t overly fond of the police.  
“Is it Frank?” Asked Ian.  
“Uh no.” Replies Tony looking slightly uncomfortable. “Terry.”  
“Oh fuck. Is he out?” Mickey moved in front of Ian to protect him as if Terry was going to burst through the door that minute.  
“No, no. Mickey, Terry’s dead.”  
Silence. Ian put his hand on Mickey’s arm and squeezed.  
Mickey sagged slightly.  
“Fuck. I mean. Fuck. I thought he’d never die.”  
Tony nodded. His usual spiel at this time was sticking in his throat. No one was sorry that Terry was dead, that Tony was sure of. Not his son, not any of his sons, not his daughter, no friends, barely any acquaintances. Mickey didn’t even ask what happened to him.  
“You uh OK Mickey?” asked the blond policeman.  
“Oh” Mickey came to suddenly. “Yeah. Thanks Tony for coming by”  
He stuck out his hand. Tony smiled and shook it.  
“I have this.” He said pulling a small key out of his pocket it was on a small ring with an engraved disc.  
“What is it”asked Ian.  
Tony smiled  
“It’s the key to a safety deposit box.” He read from the disc.  
“Number A324 at” he turned the disc over. “South Chicago Lock n Key”  
He held it out to Mickey.  
“Terry was being held at Beckman. It was found in his effects. The guards wanted you to have it.  
“Me?“  
“Yeah. Um they said if ever someone deserved a better chance than he got, it’s you.”  
Ian smiled proudly and rubbed Mickey’s arm. Mickey was looking at Tony with an eyebrow raised.  
“And, uh, I kinda agree with them.” Tony was blushing now, his cheeks glowing with the embarrassment.  
“Wow. Thanks Tony.” Said Ian.  
Mickey’s expression was warm.  
“You got time for a coffee?” He asked  
Tony shook his head.  
“Nah. Still on duty. Thanks though.” He looked around the living room.  
“Nice place you’re gonna have here.”  
“Yeah” said Mickey. “One day.” Mickeys words had gotten a little mumbled and when Tony looked at him he could see the glassiness of tears.  
“Good night you two.” Tony shook hands with Mickey again and Ian and left. Mickey shut the door firmly behind him and leaned on it, his body trembling involuntarily. Ian looked over at him in concern.  
“Mick?” He said quietly. “You OK?”  
“The nightmare....” stumbled Mickey  
“Your nightmare?”  
“Yeah. It’s.... It’s......”  
Mickey turned and collapsed into Ian’s arms.  
“It’s over Ian.”  
Ian just held him tightly. He knew that Mickey had been having the same nightmares for years and he knew it involved Mickey losing Ian somehow, but Mickey had never given him the details.  
Eventually Mickey raised his head and pulled away.  
“Let’s sit down. I can tell you now.”  
The two went to the couch and sat facing each other. Mickey rubbed his eyes.  
“Ok so I have the same dream over and over. You know why I love this house?”  
Ian nodded.  
“It’s your safe haven.”  
Yeah. When I was a kid, I used to come here to hide. From Terry. It was derelict like when we bought it. It was a safe place he never knew about. My safe place.”

“In the dream I’m worried about you but then I come here and you’re here. We fall asleep in front of the fire. But when I wake up, you're gone. And the fire is out. And all our things have gone. The house is derelict again. And the only furniture is stuff from the prison cell.”  
Ian laced his fingers with Mickey’s and Mickey took a deep breath.  
“So I’m sat there wondering where you are and then I hear my dad and some of his cronies. They never found me here but in the dream....”  
“Yeah?”  
“In the dream his sidekicks bring you in and you don’t look good, Ian. And me n him fight and he’s gonna kill me, I know that. And you were already dead, I know that too. Terry takes great delight in telling me.”  
“And then?” Ian’s voice was soft.  
Mickey squeezed his hand.  
“Usually then I hear your voice bringing me back to reality, Ian.”  
Ian released Mickey’s hand so that he could gather the smaller man into his arms.  
“I love you Mick.”  
“The one thing I couldn’t stand. The idea of losing you, man. And now...”  
“Now?”  
“Now the one person who wanted to take you away from me is gone.”  
Then Mickey yawned.  
“And fuck I’m tired.”  
“I bet. Shall we go to bed?”  
“Yeah.” Mickey dangled the key. “Going to look at a safety deposit box tomorrow.”  
Ian grinned.  
“And Ian?”  
“Yeah?”  
“I love you too”

Despite being exhausted Mickey still managed a couple of rounds before he fell asleep spooned by the red head giant he adored. He woke early feeling refreshed for the first time in too long to remember. He felt Ian still wrapped around him. Mickey wriggled out of Ian’s hold and shuffled quietly under the covers. Ian was naked under their duvet and Mickey took a moment to appreciate the beauty of his husband. He began to drop kisses around Ian’s thighs moving up. Mickey took each one of Ian’s balls in his mouth, using his tongue to apply slight pressure.  
Ian let out a low moan and shifted over onto his back. Mickey took the opportunity to move his attention to the cock that was growing in front of his eyes. He did love Ian’s dick, that was for sure. Mickey took Ian in his mouth and began to work the head with his tongue before moving position to allow Ian’s length to fully fill his mouth. he began to bob his head up and down and felt Ian’s hands move to his head, gripping his hair.  
Ian moaned again and was murmuring Mickey’s name.  
“I’m close Mick, so close...”  
Mickey redoubled his efforts to take Ian’s cock deeper and move his head faster. A few moments later Ian came with a “Fuck Mick!” Mickey swallowed and returned to grin at his husband.  
“Morning!”  
“Fuck Mick, did you sleep alright?”  
“Yeah. Best nights sleep in forever!”  
“So I can expect more wake ups like this?”  
”Maybe. Who can say Gallagher?” Mickey was smirking.  
They kissed softly.  
“Right” Mickey announced. “Time to get up!”

Washed and dressed the pair checked the address in a phone and wrapped themselves up for the walk. They held hands as they walked, all Mickey’s fears seemingly gone.  
At then end of a small parade was the safety deposit place. The pair looked at each other, shrugged and pushed the door.

The oily man showed them to a room where the box sat waiting. Mickey just stared at it. Ian didn’t say anything. He stood a little further back so as not to crowd Mickey.  
Eventually, Mickey took a deep breath and opened the box.  
What he expected to see, he wasn’t sure. Maybe a gun? Someone’s finger...  
but it wasn’t. There was some cash. $20 bills. Wrapped up with cash straps. Three of them. Six grand. He wondered if it was stolen. Oh who was he kidding of course it was stolen.  
There was a small jewellery box. When he opened it it was his mother’s engagement ring and there was an envelope of photographs. He looked at one or two and then stuffed them back in the envelope.  
“So, what’s in there Mick.”  
“Uh, well let’s just say we can get a new kitchen.”  
“Huh?”  
Mickey turned to him  
“Six grand in cash. And my mother’s engagement ring. I think Mandy should have that don’t you?”  
“Yeah. Definitely. What’s that?  
“Nothing. Just something I need to give to Tony.”  
“Tony? Why?”  
“Just leave it Ian. K?”  
Ian shook his head stubbornly.  
“It bothered you. I can tell. Mick. What is it?”  
“It’s Terry’s insurance, OK? It’s pictures of stuff he and other people have done. Pictures that could get people into a lot of hot water.”  
“Fuck”  
“I don’t want anything to do with it. So I figure Tony would be the best place to go.”  
Ian thought this through.  
“OK.”  
Mickey pocketed the cash and the ring and put the envelope in his jacket. Then they walked to the police station and Mickey handed in the photographs. To say Tony was surprised would be an understatement. But he took them and agreed not to say where they were from. 

That night Ian and Mickey lay in front of their fire naked and sated. Mickey turned onto his stomach and looked at his husband.  
“Am I dreaming? Is this just the dream bit and is a nightmare going to appear?”  
Ian wrapped Mickey up in his arms.  
“Nope. You’re stuck with me.”  
“Promise?”  
“I promise.”


End file.
